Impact On Semiconductor Manufacturing Emissions Vary By Region

TechInsights' Global Semiconductor Carbon Emissions Forecast, 2025-2030 quantifies emissions from wafer fabrication in terms of carbon equivalents (CO2e). Given that Scope 2 emissions account for the majority of semiconductor emissions from manufacturing, location has an outsized effect on the emissions of a facility, due to the amount of electricity required to fabricate semiconductors and varying carbon intensities of regional power. The figure below compares the amount of semiconductor emissions from TSMC’s 5nm process in six locations. When holding capacity and abatement consistent, the same process emits 25% less CO2e per wafer in Germany relative to China, while emissions per wafer are 15% lower in South Korea compared to Taiwan.

Emissions of TSMC 5nm process at Different Locations from Manufacturing Carbon Module, December 2024

TechInsights' Global Semiconductor Carbon Emissions Forecast, 2025-2030 highlights the impact of regional electricity grid carbon intensity on semiconductor fabrication. China’s electricity has the highest carbon intensity, while electricity in the Germany has the lowest carbon intensity, as a result, manufacturing the same process in Germany would create the lowest semiconductor emissions.